Sep 20, 2007 7:22 pm US/Central
Teen Settles With Archdiocese Over Priest Abuse
Boy Says He Was Molested By Father Daniel McCormack
CBS 2's Joanie Lum contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Rev. Daniel McCormack
CBS
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The family of a teenage boy who says Father Daniel McCormack molested him has reached a settlement with the Chicago Archdiocese.
The Chicago Archdiocese agreed to pay more than $1.5 million dollars to the boy.
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum report, the victim is now 15 years old. He says the crimes took place between 2001 and 2005 at the parochial school he attended.
McCormack is now behind bars.
The settlement was reached after McCormack pleaded guilty on July 2 to sexually abusing five boys -- the youngest only 8, the oldest 11. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Prosecutors say the boys were fondled inside the rectory at St. Agatha, where he served as parish priest. They say the 38-year-old could have done the same thing in a classroom at our Lady of the Westside Presentation School's two campuses, where McCormack taught algebra and coached basketball.
The five-year sentence he received was not enough to satisfy McCormack's critics.
But, the victim's attorney says the $1.65 million will help the victim heal.
"Therapy, medication, tutors, anything financially," said Steven Dicker, the victim's lawyer. "He wants the case over. He doesn't want to testify in court."
The boy played on St. Agatha's basketball team where McCormack was a coach. His attorney says the abuse started in 2001 when the boy was 9 years old; he endured it until 2005.
A nun and a principal say they reported McCormack to church authorities, but the archdiocese mismanaged the case and didn't act swiftly enough to remove him.
"We believe Ccardinal George should be stepping down and remove himself because of the betrayal to this boy and all the others who had their innocence shattered," said Barbara Blaine of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Francis Cardinal George confirmed the settlement in a statement, saying, "Every one of us at the archdiocese should do all in our power to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people in our care and in our community. My prayers go out to this young person and his family..."
Back in May, George said one of his biggest regrets was not having acted faster in the McCormack case.
The year before he said: "Every time one hears of this, you're devastated. This is a cancer that eats away at all of us because in the church we're connected and in the society we're connected."
"Now that the archdiocese is forced to pay a substantial amount of money, we believe and hope the archdiocese will be more vigilant in protecting children in parishes and from members of the clergy," Dicker said.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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